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August 04, (THEWILL) — Liverpool defeated Athletic Club 4-1 in the first of two scheduled friendly matches at Anfield, with Academy talents delivering standout performances. The match provided an opportunity for younger players to impress manager Arne Slot ahead of the 2025/2026 season, and they responded with a commanding display against the La Liga side. The victory sets a positive tone as Liverpool continue their pre-season preparations following their English Premier League triumph last term.
Sixteen-year-old Rio Ngumoha opened the scoring with a spectacular strike from outside the penalty area after receiving a pass from Alexis Mac Allister, who had won possession near the halfway line. The youngster then turned provider, heading into a dangerous area where Darwin Núñez converted to double Liverpool’s advantage. Ngumoha’s performance marked an impressive statement from the teenager hoping to break into the first team ranks this season.
The match paused in the 20th minute as supporters and players paid tribute to former Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, who passed away on July 3. This followed an emotional rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” before kick-off. Liverpool extended their lead when teenager Ben Doak created space for a right-footed shot that was deflected into the net by goalkeeper Álex Padilla, with the effort later recorded as an own goal.
Ármin Pécsi replaced Freddie Woodman at half-time and made an important save to deny Athletic Club an early goal in the second period. Liverpool added a fourth in the 58th minute through Harvey Elliott following a well-worked team move. The visitors claimed a consolation goal in the 76th minute when Gorka Guruzeta headed past Pécsi after Luca Stephenson’s attempted clearance went awry.
The two teams will meet again later today for the second friendly, providing another opportunity for Liverpool’s squad members to stake their claim for regular first-team action. With the new season approaching, Slot will be pleased with the contributions from his younger players, who demonstrated the depth of talent emerging from the club’s Academy system.
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Jude Obafemi, THEWILL
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
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